Contact



Jan; 6, 1942,v .D.VT. MITCHELL' CONTACT Filed June 1, 1940 INVENTOR @jtfiLufckeLL BY Q49 6 1 4 TT RNEY Patented Jan. 6, 1942 CONTACT Douglas T. Mitchell, Westchester County, N. Y. Application June 1, 1940, Serial No. 338,307

1 Claim.

My invention relates to contacts for radio hardware such as tube sockets, plug contacts, etc.

The object of the invention is to provide'a contact which will permit its assembling on a single piece of insulation when used either for sockets or in alignment, thereby dispensing with a second piece of insulation commonly used in contact arrangements of this type. In addition, by using a single insulated piece in place of a double the assembling of a series of contacts is greatly simplified.

Another object of the invention is to provide a contact having a high frictional engagement with the bar or prongs for which, it is made, thereby reducing the side sway of the bar in the insulation while the contact maintains a firm grip on the bar or prong engaged therein.

The inside diameter of the eyelet II is slightly larger than the bar or prong which is to engage the contact in the gap 9 wherein a recess [3 is formed in each side of the gap to frictionally engage the bar or prong which may be passed .into the contact through the eyelet H.

' flap I4 is cut out from the peripheral body of the In the appended drawing forming part of this application,

Figure 1 is a vertical section on line l--I, Figure 2, t

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the contact as it appears mounted, I

Figure 3 is a top View on a series of aligned contacts mounted on an insulated base, one of the contacts being shown in section on line 3-3, Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a section similar to that of Figure 1 of a contact showing a modified structure, and

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5, Figure 4.

is formed of a single member, the middle part loop opposite the gap. This flap in addition serves as means for attaching a contact thereto, and for that purpose an aperture I5 is provided in the flap M. v

In the modified form shown in Figures 4 and 5 the rectangular loop 8' is provided with yielding tongues I6 extending from the gap sides into the loop 8'. Said tongues are cut out from the sides of'the rectangular loop 8' adjacent to the sides of gap 9', and the said tongues are bent and shaped to be in alignment with the corresponding recesses l3 formed in the sides of the gap 9'.

As will be seen from the drawing the rectangular loop 8 provides sufficient rigidity without sacrificing resiliency at the point of contact which results from the resiliency of the common gap of both loops 1 and 8.

of which is shaped into a circular loop 1, the

remainder of the member being shaped into a loop 8 of rectangular cross section, the end portions I0 of the member overlapping within the rectangular loop 8 preferably oppositethe' gap 9 which is common toboth loops 1 and 8. The overlapping end portions III are perforated to accommodate an eyelet II by means of which the contact is secured to an insulation member [2 which may be used for a series of aligning contacts as shown in Figure 3, or the single insulation member may be shaped to receive contacts to form a lamp socket not shown.

The rectangular loop extends laterally to each side of the circular loop to provide shoulder l1, running substantially atright angles to the'central plane of the contact. The formation of the shoulder l1 provides a greater stability to the contact when it is mounted and reduces side sway of a prong that is engaged by the contact formed of the two loops referred to.

In the modified form the resiliency at the point of contact is increased by the formation of the tongues without sacrificing the rigidity resulting from the formation of the rectangular loop in addition to the circular loop.

I claim:

In combination, an insulated member and a contact formed of a single member providing a circular loop and a rectangular loop, both loops being spaced by a common gap, the rectangular loop extending laterally to each side of the circular loop to provide shoulders running substantially at right angles to the plane of the contact, said rectangular loop having an opening opposite the gap, an eyelet securing the contact through the opening of the insulated member,

' the sides of the gap having recesses disposed coloops.

DOUGLAS '1'. MITCHELL,

To increase the resiliency of the loop I a 

